The Canadian swimming prodigy dominates the pool in Singapore, breaking records and redefining greatness with a stunning 400m medley performance.
The end of a “three-medal curse”
At just 18, Summer McIntosh has become one of the brightest stars in international swimming—and in Singapore, she proved why. With a time of 4:25.78 in the 400-meter individual medley, McIntosh not only captured her fourth gold medal of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships but also set a new championship record.
Her performance placed her more than seven seconds ahead of her nearest competitors—Australia’s Jenna Forrester and Japan’s Mio Narita, who tied for silver. The result not only affirmed her dominance in the pool but also lifted what she jokingly referred to as a “curse of three” medals. “Everything comes in threes, but now everything comes in fours,” she said. “Hopefully, I can push for everything to come in fives.”
A medal tally that puts her among legends
McIntosh now has five medals from this year’s Championships—four gold and one bronze in the 800m freestyle. That puts her in elite company: only American great Katie Ledecky has also claimed four golds at a single World Championships, while Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström has matched her five-medal tally.
Though she fell just shy of matching Michael Phelps’ legendary five-gold haul in a single Worlds, McIntosh’s career trajectory suggests that this is just the beginning. With 13 World Championship medals to her name—eight of them gold—she’s already carved out a formidable legacy.
A race of generations and global promise
Sunday’s 400m medley final offered more than just a showcase of McIntosh’s brilliance. It was a snapshot of swimming’s global future. Japan’s Mio Narita and Australia’s Jenna Forrester shared the silver with identical times of 4:33.26. Meanwhile, China’s Yu Zidi, only 12 years old, finished just outside the podium in fourth place—underscoring the generational diversity of talent emerging on the world stage.
Each swimmer brought a different narrative to the pool—experience, youth, national pride—but it was McIntosh’s blend of technique and tenacity that captured the moment.
Léon Marchand continues his own golden streak
While McIntosh was the undisputed queen of the women’s events, France’s Léon Marchand dominated the men’s side of the 400m medley. With a winning time of 4:04.73, Marchand secured his second gold of the championships, completing a medley double.
He finished ahead of Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita and Russia’s Ilia Borodin, who took silver and bronze respectively. Marchand’s triumph marks his seventh career gold at the World Championships, further cementing his status as a powerhouse in men’s swimming.
Looking ahead: a shifting tide in world swimming
As the 2025 World Aquatics Championships draw to a close, McIntosh’s performance stands out not just for its brilliance but for what it signals—a generational shift in the sport. With athletes like McIntosh and Marchand setting the standard, and young swimmers like Yu Zidi on the rise, the global swimming scene is on the cusp of a new era.
For McIntosh, the Singapore meet is more than a personal milestone—it’s a declaration of intent. The medals are piling up. The records are falling. And the world is watching.
